


staring at the sun

by soonhan



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, First Kiss, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Lifeguard Seokmin, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Radio Host Jeonghan, Vacation, lots of sun and sea talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-10 01:53:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13494326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soonhan/pseuds/soonhan
Summary: and I don't care if it burns my eyes //and I don't care cause my love is blind //





	staring at the sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seokkwan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seokkwan/gifts).



> haha happy birthday Peyton, sorry it's a year late :D

Soonyoung rolled his window down, enjoying the feeling of wind whipping through his hair as he stuck his head out to take in the view. The seashore was beautiful, sparkling sand stretching as far out as he could see until it curved away behind a copse of trees. He could only imagine that the beaches kept going, all white sands and blue-green water.

A vacation was long overdue, and he could already feel the stiffness of his limbs starting to ease with the change of scenery around him, his fingers tapping on the steering wheel to the beat of the song on the radio.

When he spared a glance at his GPS he saw that he wasn’t too far from the town, and as he turned the corner away from the sea view he could see the outskirts of it beginning to seep into the greenery. He would have never even heard of this town if it hadn’t been for a friend’s recommendation, telling him that it would be the perfect place to get away and relax which was exactly what Soonyoung was looking for. Months of overtime and ignoring his vacation days- until his boss had to politely remind him they existed- had him realizing that he maybe should have done it much earlier.

He pulled into the lot of the small motel, parking and grabbing his phone as he got out. To his delight he could see that the beach was accessible just behind the motel and he felt the overwhelming desire to ignore check-in and run towards its welcoming waves, but he pulled his eyes away and trudged towards the office, trying not to rudely tap his fingers on the counter as he waited for his room key. It wasn’t long until he practically ran to the sand, leaving his clothes strewn across his sheets and suitcase thrown open. It was a miracle he even remembered to lock his door on the way out.

The water was warm, immersing him from his ankles to his waist pretty quickly as he waded in. It felt like a familiar friend, welcoming him into its arms. Once he was up to his chin he threw himself back and started to float, lifting his eyes to the sky and trailing his fingers in the water. He closed his eyes to bask in the warmth that surrounded him, letting his mind go blissfully blank.

It felt like hours had passed before he thought of returning, though the only real indication was his stomach letting him know it had been a while since he’d eaten. He dipped his head under the water and spun himself through the waves one last time before making his way back towards the shore.

As soon as he stepped onto the beach he ran over to his towel, the sea breeze causing him to shiver in spite of the heavily beating sun. He draped it over his shoulders after drying out his hair, and when he lifted his head he noticed a man further down the beach walking in his direction. He had his eyes on the horizon, and Soonyoung wasn’t sure he knew he was there. When he was within earshot he called out a greeting, and the man turned to look.

His first impression left Soonyoung almost certain that he was in the presence of a god- one with a shining smile and skin kissed by the sun. He tried to think of one that matched such a description but didn’t have time before the man was right in front of him.

“Hey, are you a tourist? I’m fairly sure I’d recognize a face like yours.”

Unsure of how to take the comment, Soonyoung simply smiled and let go of his towel to extend his hand, trying not to react in an embarrassing way to how nice Seokmin’s hand felt. He almost didn’t want to let it go.

“Yeah, just got in. Are you the greeting committee?” he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching up at his own joke. It was almost a shock when Seokmin burst out laughing- the sound of it nearly stopped his heart, though it wasn’t from the suddenness of it.

He’d never seen someone so naturally suited for a smile. It was large and warm, liked the rest of him, and transformed his face entirely. There was happiness practically radiating off of him, and Soonyoung was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. It was a good thing he believed in love at first sight, because he was certainly experiencing it at that moment.

“I’m a lifeguard here, actually. I’m currently on-duty, but you’re the only swimmer I’ve seen for a while. Name’s Seokmin!” Now that Seokmin mentioned it Soonyoung noticed the bright red swim shorts and the whistle around his neck, his matching red jacket unzipped just enough for him to see that his chest was bare beneath. His could feel his heart start to beat harder, taking the length of the shorts that were just a little too short and pulled a bit too tightly over his thighs, the zipper undone just a little too low showing off the beginning of his abs. Soonyoung had to tear his eyes away to look up again.

“I’m Soonyoung, and well, I’m not swimming anymore. Just decided to cool off after a long drive,” he explained, his fingers curling around the ends of his towel. Seokmin nodded, turning his eyes back towards the water, his smile softening. Soonyoung followed his gaze and nearly gasped- the view had changed drastically from when the sun had been directly overhead. With the sun nearly sinking beneath the horizon the water was glittering with the reflection of the rays, light dipping in and out of the waves that stretched for what seemed like forever.

“Well I hope you enjoy the view, because this is what it’s like here every night,” Seokmin said, nodding to Soonyoung before walking away. Soonyoung couldn’t decide which view he was more excited to see on his vacation, but he decided he definitely had to come to the beach more often. As he started back for the motel he heard a sweet voice floating towards him on the sea breeze.

 

The next time he saw Seokmin was a lot sooner than he expected. The next morning he had gone out to find breakfast, taking a walk down the short main street while debating either the market or the friendly-looking diner on the corner. 

After finally choosing the diner, he spotted the familiar red get-up as soon as he walked in. He approached the counter where Seokmin was chatting cheerily with the waitress over a cup of coffee.

“You always wear that?” he asked, sliding onto the stool beside him. Seokmin turned to look at him with wide eyes, taking a moment to process his question before laughing. Soonyoung decided he really liked the way it sounded, and he made it a goal to try and make him laugh as often as possible.

“Small town, nice beaches. There aren’t exactly an abundance of lifeguards here, so I have work pretty often,” he replied, rotating his stool to face him more. The waitress leaned against the counter, looking between them with her hand on her notepad. Soonyoung felt a little bad for interrupting their conversation, but she just smiled brightly at him.

“Can I get you anything?” He check the menu before ordering a coffee and waffles with cream and fruit, and she wrote it down with a flourish before walking back to the kitchen. When he turned back to Seokmin he was bombarded with the sun itself. Seokmin’s expression was radiant, and Soonyoung felt his heart lurch at the sight.

“That’s a house special, they’re pretty well known for their breakfast here.” Soonyoung has a feeling that Seokmin has lived here a long time from the way he was talking about it. He watched as Seokmin leaned on the counter, resting his chin in his hand while stirring his coffee with the other.

“So Soonyoung, what brings you here?” he asked. There was genuine curiosity in his question, but Soonyoung could also sense something else behind it as well.

“Taking some much needed R&R,” he replied, crossing his legs. Seokmin nodded, as if he heard that kind of answer before. Considering how few people must come through here, their intentions were probably all pretty similar to his. “My boss pretty much begged me to take time off.”

“A busy bee, huh? It’s nice to see that, you know. You must really like your work.” The waitress came back with his coffee and Soonyoung thanked her with a nod of his head, quickly reaching for the sugar and cream. Seokmin’s eyes followed him as he poured a lot more than was probably necessary into his coffee. Soonyoung took a sip and hummed, pleased that he couldn’t taste even a bit of the bitterness. Seokmin laughed, his eyes curving up pleasantly.

“Don’t judge.” Soonyoung pouted. “And yeah, I really do. I work at a radio station, starting out as a PA to one of the hosts, and sort of working my way up from there. It’s how I met-” He paused, covering up his hesitation with another sip. “How I met a lot of really great friends.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun,” Seokmin said, “And how did you hear about our little corner of paradise?”

“A coworker of mine came here before and said it did wonders to stress. So I guess I have him to thank.” Seokmin quirked a brow, his eyes glinting mischievously.

“And why’s that?” he asked, leaning in. It was then that Soonyoung’s food arrived, and he decided to ignore Seokmin’s question in favour of popping a berry into his mouth, making a show of savouring it. It did nothing to deter Seokmin’s flirty smile, but it did everything to inflate Soonyoung’s ego. It was nice to be wanted, especially by someone like Seokmin. It didn’t take long for Seokmin to come onto him either, something he was definitely too proud of.

“Well,” he said after swallowing, “this place is gorgeous. And the locals are pretty nice.” He added the last sentence with a wink, and Seokmin’s grin widened.

“If you need anyone to show you around, I’d be more than happy to help,” he replied, reaching out to touch Soonyoung’s knee.

“Don’t you have people to save?” he asked, placing his hand over Seokmin’s and running it up his arm, tipping his head down to look up at him. Seokmin widened his eyes and whipped his head to look at the clock on the wall, nearly jumping out of his seat.

“Actually, I do! It was nice seeing you again Soonyoung, hope it happens again real soon.” And like that he was off, the tinkle of the bell announcing his exit. Soonyoung was left with his hand hovering in empty air, blinking owlishly as where Seokmin was only a moment ago.

He heard a laugh and turned back towards the counter, where the waitress from before was watching him. He smiled sheepishly and returned to his waffles, ignoring the jarring goodbye he just had.

 

Finding Seokmin is easy, since the beach is where he could be found at pretty much any time of the day. Soonyoung was starting to wonder if he was actually the only lifeguard in town, though he never asked.

He figured even lifeguards needed a break, because when he arrived at the beach Seokmin was far out into the waves, swimming on his back. Soonyoung walked into the water and swam out to meet him, groaning as his skin cooled off from the heat of the sun. He dove underwater and popped up on the other side of Seokmin, touching his leg and making him yelp in surprise.

“Off-duty?” he asked, swimming in place as Seokmin calmed down from the shock. He smiled bashfully and looked at the shore. Soonyoung followed his line of sight and saw that there was maybe two other people walking on the beach, and neither of them seemed to be approaching the water.

“I figured it was safe to take a swim, no one looks to be drowning,” he replied.

“Hmm, and what if someone was to suddenly need CPR?” Soonyoung asked, grinning wickedly. As if to make his point he bobbed underwater and quickly felt a pair of arms drag him to the surface. Now chest to chest, Soonyoung dropped his gaze to Seokmin’s lips, who responded by wetting them despite the fact that they were already soaked from the sea. Soonyoung’s stomach flipped, and his mind was suddenly occupied with nothing but the thought of leaning in and kissing him.

“Not really something you should joke about,” Seokmin replied, though he didn’t really seem mad about the stunt. He let him go and Soonyoung floated back, his grin never faltering. And idea struck him, and he swept his arms up to splash Seokmin before dashing away, calling back that the last one to shore was a rotten egg. Schoolyard teasing seemed to work, and Soonyoung whooped when he heard the telltale sound of Seokmin chasing after him in the water.

They reached the sand with Seokmin in the lead by just a hair, collapsing side by side and panting heavily with huge smiles on their faces. Soonyoung slumped onto his side and gave him a thumbs up, admitting his defeat.

“You’re good,” Seokmin said breathlessly, his chest heaving. “I thought you said you were a radio host.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t keep up on my figure,” Soonyoung huffed, flexing his arm weakly. It was true that the gym near his house offered a pool along with its other amenities, and he made use of it often, so it was no surprise to him that he could match a lifeguard’s stride. It also meant he had pretty high stamina, though that he kept to himself, tongue in cheek.

“I haven’t had to swim that fast in a while.” Seokmin dug his fingers into the sand and closed his eyes with a sigh. “It was really exhilarating, thank you.”

“Any time,” Soonyoung said, rolling over onto his stomach. He rested his cheek on his arm to prevent himself from breathing in sand, and Seokmin turned his head to meet his eyes.

“I might just take you up on that.” Soonyoung was counting on it. Though if they kept this up he might end up needing CPR for real.

 

“By the way, are you single? I really don’t want to be the accessory to a breakup just because you wanna have some week-long fling.”

The question came seemingly out of nowhere. They were sitting side by side on a bench picking at food they’d bought at the market, taking in what little view the small park in the center of town could offer. It was quiet and uninhabited at the moment aside from them.

Soonyoung wondered if he should keep his relationship a secret; after all not everyone was comfortable with the type of lifestyle he led. But he was never really good at lying or keeping things hidden, and even the thought of it made him squirm uncomfortably. He figured it was better to be honest anyway, so he took a deep breath and clasped his hands together.

“Not single, no...” He could see Seokmin’s eyes darken and Soonyoung quickly raised his hands in defense. “I know what you’re thinking but… my relationship is pretty open.”

He watched Seokmin’s reaction carefully. His expression was guarded, with the slightest crease in his brow, and after a while he folded his hands in his lap. It was the longest moments of Soonyoung’s life.

“How do I know you’re not lying so that I agree to cheat on whoever with you?” Seokmin finally asked. His expression was too serious, and Soonyoung wanted nothing more than to see his smile again at that moment.

“I could never hurt Hannie, I-” Grief coursed through Soonyoung’s veins at the very thought, and he clenched his hands together hard as he dropped his eyes to the grass, but his head shot up quickly after a moment as he scrambled to grab his phone. He lifted it to show Seokmin, his tone desperate. “I can even call him and you can hear for yourself!”

“No need to call him,” Seokmin said, a slow smile creeping onto his face. Soonyoung’s response seemed to satisfy him, and that was enough to ease Soonyoung’s fear, if only a little. “I think I can trust you.”

Soonyoung looked at Seokmin and felt the flutter again, deep in his stomach. But then the flutter turned painful, and he curled his hands against his thighs.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, we don’t have to continue. I know this sort of thing isn’t exactly for everyone. We’ve had more than my fair share of people judging us for it. Or worse.” There was a sour curl to Soonyoung’s mouth when he spoke, memories coming to mind that he’d rather not dwell on anymore. Seokmin reached out and touched the back of his hand, meeting Soonyoung’s eyes with a look that was so sincere it almost hurt.

“I don’t mind. I would just hate to make anyone unhappy, so as long as you’re both okay with it I’m fine too.”

Soonyoung could have cried then and there. Seokmin was a rarity indeed, and he had no intention of letting him go anytime soon. It was so hard to find anyone understanding enough of the relationship him and Jeonghan had, and they had dealt with enough frustrations for it already.

A hand came down overtop of his, and Soonyoung closed his eyes, smiling up at the sky. Even if it wasn’t forever, for now it was enough.

 

“I’ve never actually been this way before,” Seokmin said, scuffing his feet on the road and sending up a cloud of dust. His arms swung at his side, his hand bumping against Soonyoung’s every so often, the tips of his fingers catching against Soonyoung’s in a way that Soonyoung couldn’t be sure was unconscious or not. It was hard not to imagine reaching out and holding his hand, and Soonyoung was nearly distracted from what Seokmin was saying while trying to decide whether he should do it or not.

Before he even got the chance to try Seokmin ran ahead, stopping a ways down the dirt road and looking back at Soonyoung with a brilliant smile. When Soonyoung got close enough he widened his eyes in shock- ahead of them was a huge field of sunflowers, their heads taller than either of them.

“I didn’t know they grew this tall,” he said, staring at them in awe. Seokmin laughed and shook his head, reaching out to pull Soonyoung into the stalks. He was glad for the cover of their leaves, because otherwise Seokmin would have caught the fierce blush that had bloomed at the touch.

Thankfully the flowers were growing far enough apart that they weren’t fighting to walk through them, but it was an unnatural experience to be surrounded by them. The leaves brushed their arms as they wove through them, and Seokmin’s laughter echoed almost eerily amongst them. After a while he stopped and let go of Soonyoung’s hand, and Soonyoung wasn’t sure whether he was relieved or disappointed.

Seokmin snapped the stem of the flower in from of him and motioned for Soonyoung to get closer, and when he took a step towards him Seokmin tucked his hair behind his ear and tried to put the sunflower behind it. Naturally it was too heavy and started to fall, but Soonyoung caught it and laughed with a smack of Seokmin’s arm. He held the flower in his hand instead, resting it over his heart.

They continued through the field and Seokmin told him about his day, retelling a story about how a dog climbed up into his lifeguard chair and how the owner apologized over and over while he handed it down to her. He cooed at how cute it had been and assured her it was alright and how he loved dogs, but she continued to apologize anyway.

“It even gave me a kiss!” he said, touching his cheek at the memory.

Soonyoung traced the lines of Seokmin’s mouth with his eyes, committing his smile to memory, and suddenly he couldn’t fight the urge that came over him. He leaned over and touched Seokmin’s cheek, brushing against the tips of his fingers as well. Seokmin pulled away and turned to look at him, his face quickly flushing.

“Sorry,” Soonyoung said, dropping his eyes to the dirt, “guess I got jealous of the dog.”

“You’re funny,” Seokmin said. Soonyoung grinned and looked back up and him, toying with one of the sunflower’s long leaves. Every compliment Seokmin gave him made his pulse quicken, and it was starting to become a bit of a problem.

“So I’ve been told.”

They finally broke through the field into the beginnings of a forest. It was picturesque, no litter dotting the floor like all the ones Soonyoung knew from home. The sun dappled the ground from the generous foliage overhead, and he swore they were a second away from walking into a Disney film. The beauty was only marred by the nervous look on Seokmin’s face, which immediately unnerved Soonyoung. Seokmin was the local here, and if he was lost then they could be in trouble.

When he noticed Soonyoung staring he broke into a grin, covering up the uncertainty. He linked his fingers with him and started to follow a semi-apparent path through the trees, putting on an air of confidence. Had Soonyoung not seen the look on his face before now he would have guessed that Seokmin knew exactly where they were going. He decided to just enjoy the beauty of the nature around him, noticing small signs of life he never really got to see back home. In the distance he saw a chipmunk sitting on a log, stuffing its cheeks with some seeds it had found, and he had to resist cooing out loud at the sight.

“Wait, I think I know where we are!” Seokmin suddenly shouted, pulling Soonyoung ahead and stopping at the edge of the forest. To Soonyoung it just looked like a road, but Seokmin pointed to a sign a little ways further up.

“We’re not too far from town, we just have a bit to walk,” he assured him. Soonyoung laughed, swinging their hands between them and falling into step with Seokmin as they walked towards town.

“So we were lost?” Seokmin turned a bit pink, letting out a bashful laugh.

“Yeah, a bit. But if things got too bad we had our phones anyway, right?” Oh yeah. Soonyoung touched the pocket of his shorts and felt the familiar shape of his phone. He could feel a blush of his own creeping up. He totally forgot about that. They both burst out laughing, and Soonyoung clutched the sunflower closer to him.

All things considered though, there were worse things in the world than getting lost with someone like Seokmin.

 

The ringing of Soonyoung’s phone distracted him from getting into his pyjamas, and he threw himself on the bed to answer it.

“Hello?” The familiar voice made him lie his head down and grin to himself. It was kind of funny how easily he could make him melt.

“Hello,” he replied, drawing shapes absentmindedly into the sheets of his bed. He heard Jeonghan laugh on the other end, and his smile widened even more.

“Will you ever not sound lovestruck when you talk to me?” There was a fondness to his voice that tugged at Soonyoung’s heart. It made him want to be there with him right then, to kiss that dumb, pretty grin right off his face.

“Have I yet?”

“No, guess not.” A sigh. “Are you enjoying your vacation?”

“Yeah, kind of wish you were here though.” Soonyoung flipped over onto his stomach, puffing his cheeks out. His bed seemed to big with him alone.

“I definitely would have if I hadn’t already used up my vacation days. Not all of us hoard ‘em like you,” Jeonghan replied. Soonyoung knew he wasn’t trying to sound sad, but there wasn’t much Jeonghan could hide from him. He pressed his lips to the phone, imagining it was Jeonghan’s cheek.

“I didn’t hoard them! I just sorta forgot,” he replied finally, making his voice purposefully cuter. He heard Jeonghan laugh again and grinned to himself.

“Okay, Mr. Workaholic, anything interesting happen?”

“Well…” He could practically see Jeonghan’s ears perk up. He chewed his lip and let the anticipation build, knowing Jeonghan would be clawing at the phone in anticipation.

“I met someone.” He held the phone away from his ear at the immediate barrage of questions he got, combinations of who and how and when and what. He held in his giggle, knowing he’d never be able to explain it if he got into a fit.

“His name is Seokmin, and he works as a lifeguard at the beach here. Jeonghan… he’s amazing, I wish you could meet him,” he said, staring up at the ceiling wistfully.

“Is he hot?”

“Jeonghan!” he cried, squeezing his eyes shut and gripping the phone tightly. “Of course he is.”

There’s loud raucous laughter over the phone then, and Soonyoung couldn’t help but smile at the sound. It was only going to be a bit over a week, but he already missed him more than he could bear. His kisses, his hugs, and his touches...

“You know there’s more than just your voice I miss,” Soonyoung said, biting the inside of his cheek. He rolled over onto his back again and runs a hand over his thigh, already anticipating Jeonghan’s next words.

“Can’t even go a week huh?” Not exactly what he was hoping for. He groaned and clenched his fist, hoping his pout can be heard.

“Shut up, neither can you.”

“You better get naked quickly, because I have to get back to work in twenty minutes.” Soonyoung was already squirming out of his shorts, the thought of Jeonghan getting him off while he was on break eliciting a sense of thrill in him. Jeonghan liked to call him an exhibitionist. Soonyoung liked to say it took one to know one.

“Does he know about us?” Soonyoung groaned. This always happened when a third party came into the mix.

“Yes,” he replied, waiting for Jeonghan to reply before slipping his hand into his underwear.

“Have you already thought about him?” Soonyoung cursed. How could he not? He felt a little ashamed that he couldn’t stop thinking about Seokmin that way, but from how he seemed to be reciprocating it wasn’t a great deal of shame. He heard Jeonghan hum on the other end, long and thoughtful.

“You can go ahead, Soonyoung.” With a start, Soonyoung slipped past his waistband, pushing it down with his wrist and wrapping his fingers around himself. He let out a low groan so Jeonghan knew he had begun.

“Good. Now tell me what you want him to do to you.”

The things Jeonghan’s voice did to him could be considered illegal, or at least he thought they should be. Strange how the soothing intonation he’d fallen in love with could make him feel anything but calm now.

The call was ended with a whisper of good night and I love you into the receiver, a stark contrast to his desperate cries just minutes before. He hoped he hadn’t disturbed the other residents of the motel, though with the thickness of the walls he figured it was a lost cause. He would face any dirty looks the next day with an apologetic smile, though he didn’t really regret doing it.

Jeonghan promised to see him soon, and it felt like soon couldn’t come fast enough.

 

“What’s he like?” Seokmin asked, resting his chin in his hand. Soonyoung reached out and fixed the stray hair that hung in his eyes, still wet from the sea.

“Who?”

“Your boyfriend. I don’t know anything about him and I figure I ought to know something about the man of the guy I’m flirting with.”

Soonyoung turned his eyes to the waves, watching as the peaks rose higher and higher, seeming to be as unsettled as his nerves. He dug his feet into the sand and chewed his lip, his mind conjuring up images of Jeonghan.

“Are you sure?” he asked, uncertainty in his tone. Sure, Seokmin seemed to be fine flirting with him in spite of his relationship, but would he be alright with Soonyoung talking about someone else in front of him?

“Why not?”

Seokmin gave him an encouraging look, lying his head on his arm and smiling warmly. It was always warm when he smiled, Soonyoung didn’t think he could do it any other way.

“Well… he’s funny,” Soonyoung mumbled, the corners of his mouth twitching up. There were only a few people that matched his humour quite like Jeonghan, and he couldn’t count the amount of times he’d cried from laughter because of something Jeonghan had said.

“Makes sense that you two would be together then,” Seokmin said, bringing him out of his brief reverie. When Soonyoung looked at him he just nodded for him to continue, nothing but patience on his face.

“He’s really smart too, sometimes I feel so dumb when I hear him talk about stuff. But he never lets me think like that, he always tells me that people are all smart in different ways. Maybe he’s right, but maybe he’s just trying to make me feel better.”

“For what it’s worth, I think he’s right. He sounds like a good person,” Seokmin offered, and Soonyoung smiled warmly. Yeah, Jeonghan was more than good. Sometimes he wondered how he managed to get someone like Jeonghan to fall in love with him.

“He’s also drop-dead gorgeous. It’s kind of intimidating actually,” Soonyoung admitted, crossing his legs. “His hair is so soft and long and his eyes are so pretty, I swear I get lost in them every time I look at him.” Seokmin was laughing quietly, and Soonyoung’s shoulders pulled in sheepishly. Looks had been what drew him in initially, but there had been so much more to Jeonghan that he couldn’t get enough of.

“But I guess the thing I like most about him is how loving he is. So much that it spills out of him. It’s why we both agreed that monogamy wouldn’t work for us, since I’m kinda that same way.” He raised his eyebrows at Seokmin as if to say it should be obvious, considering the situation. “I think it only brings us closer, honestly. It’s nice to have someone so understanding, you know? I don’t know what I did to deserve him.”

When he finished he felt a pang of longing in his chest. As good as the break from work was, he was missing his boyfriend terribly, but he thought better than to show that in front of someone he was sort of courting.

“I think you’re making me fall a little in love with him too,” Seokmin said, letting out a quiet laugh. Soonyoung looked at him with wide eyes, and he found Seokmin staring back, his eyes drooping tiredly. He couldn’t tell whether he was joking or serious, but the way his stomach fluttered at the thought of Seokmin being in love with Jeonghan as well was something he was going to be thinking about for a while.

The sunset brought another goodbye, and the end of his vacation was getting closer.

 

"You have to try this bakery!" Seokmin jumped up, his eyes sparkling like the sea waves. Soonyoung pushed himself off the sand and let Seokmin take him by the hand, leading him down the beach towards the boardwalk he had already walked the length of several times.

It was in a near missable alleyway tucked between two aged white-slatted buildings that they found themselves in front of a very inviting shop. Its door was encircled with hanging vines and blooming flowers, and the little hand-painted sign in the window said they were open. Seokmin held the door for him, and Soonyoung walked in, immediately feeling like he had passed through into another realm, the soft muted lights and cool atmosphere nothing like the world of summer that he'd just left.

A woman that seemed to be around his mother's age emerged from the back room, smiling at him and then smiling brighter when she saw Seokmin beside him. She opened her arms in welcome, coming out from behind the counter and hugging him.

“Mom!”

Soonyoung widened his eyes and quickly bowed to her, as deeply and respectfully as he could before extending his hand to her when he straightened up. She had a large smile just like Seokmin, and she laughed in a bright and amused manner.

“No need to be so formal, I’m not his real mother,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her. Soonyoung looked over his shoulder at Seokmin, a confused look on his face.

“That’s what everyone here calls her, sorry,” Seokmin said. She wiped her hands on her apron and extended her hand to Soonyoung, who shook it firmly.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Soonyoung.”

Soonyoung widened his eyes and gave Seokmin another baffled look, and his eyes were flitting about nervously, unable to stay on Soonyoung’s face. He could see Seokmin’s cheeks starting to redden and grinned at him, understanding in an instant.

“I may have told her a lot about you,” he confessed. He seemed embarrassed by the fact, but Soonyoung found it to be the most endearing thing he’d ever heard.

“He says you work at a radio show. Which one?” she asked. She seemed to be as kind-hearted and warm as Seokmin, and Soonyoung was having a hard time accepting that they weren’t related in any way.

“100.4 Seoul, although I don’t know if it reaches out here.” She shook her head apologetically, telling him she had never heard of it, but he just smiled at her. “You can check out our website if you’re interested! It’s pretty cool if I do say so myself, we have quite the design team.”

“I’ll be sure to get Seokmin to help me with that,” she replied, winking at Seokmin. He rubbed his neck and looked away, clearly embarrassed that she had outed him. Though if Soonyoung hadn’t been aware of Seokmin’s feelings by now then he would have to be blind.

“Well Soonyoung, I hope you like pastries!” He nodded eagerly, approaching the glass cases and eyeing everything hungrily. They had a certain homey quality to them, but they were clearly made by someone who had a lot of skill.

He chose a lot more than he could probably eat at once, but a long afternoon of doing basically nothing had worked up his appetite. She wrapped each pastry tenderly, packing them into a beautifully patterned box and tying each with a bow.

“Maybe you can order some for your whole staff someday, a little extra business couldn’t hurt,” she said, ringing them through and giving Soonyoung a hopeful smile. He told her he would be more than happy to come and pick it up personally for the station, and she practically glowed from the praise.

“You picked a good one, Seokmin,” she cooed, pinching Soonyoung’s cheek lightly. Somehow Seokmin’s cheeks were the ones that end up redder, and he thanked her with a bow before ushering Soonyoung out of the shop.

They spent the rest of the day trying each one out, chatting easily and laughing when the other got chocolate or cream somewhere ridiculous. Soonyoung could see the flash of desire in Seokmin’s eyes when he sucked some chocolate off of his thumb, and it was that night that they shared their first kiss. Seokmin was shaking in his arms, and Soonyoung could feel his lips quiver beneath his, but he tasted like sugar and the sun made a halo around his head.

When Soonyoung went to sleep that night he wondered if angels could be real, because he was sure he had just found one.

 

The way the sand clung to Seokmin’s skin made him sparkle in the sunlight, and Soonyoung couldn’t look away. A shy grin spread on Seokmin’s face, his eyes dropping away from Soonyoung’s unwavering gaze.

“What?” he asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Soonyoung tilted his chin and made sure Seokmin was looking at him again before he even opened his mouth.

“You’re perfect, Seokmin,” he whispered, even though there was no one around to hear them but the creatures crawling in the sand. “I wish I could look at you forever.”

They lied side by side, hand in hand, letting the tide wash into their hair as the sun sank lower in the sky.

“Do you think we’ll have more than just your vacation?” Seokmin asked.

Soonyoung couldn’t answer, but he wished more than anything that they could. For a fleeting moment he thought that keeping their love contained within such a short time was how it should stay: fleeting, whirling, perfect. They’d move on but never forget. Then as he looked over at Seokmin, his eyelashes tipped with the sea breeze, cheeks rosed from the day under the sun, he didn’t think he was willing to let go.

He rolled over, lying flat on top of Seokmin and pressing his lips to the tip of his nose, then peppering his cheeks until Seokmin tipped his head up and made their lips meet. Their mouths were soft, moving slowly with the sinking sun, hands linking together in the sand.

“Soonyoung,” Seokmin mumbled against his lips, “this isn’t just to distract me, is it?”

Soonyoung shook his head, running his tongue over Seokmin’s bottom lip and smirking when he opened his mouth for him.

He ran his hands through Seokmin’s hair, twisting it around the tips of his fingers. Seokmin’s eyes fluttered closed, a quiet hum rumbling from his chest and into Soonyoung’s mouth, making him sigh. If this was going to be temporary he was going to make every moment matter.

They stayed like that until the tide came up too high, and as beautiful as Seokmin looked with the water flowing over his shoulders he didn’t want to risk drowning just to make out in the sand a little longer. They walked hand in hand back to Soonyoung’s motel room, the sun setting a fiery red at their backs.

There was a beat where they stood face to face at his door, like time had frozen between them, neither of them wanting to say good night. So Soonyoung didn’t.

“Do you… want to come inside?”

That night he found out that Seokmin’s stamina could rival his own, and that he really liked being pinned down by thighs that looked like they could crush his head. He also discovered that he liked the way his name sounded coming from Seokmin’s lips while he had his head between those thighs, even with the possibility of being crushed. He always was a bit of a daredevil anyway.

 

The next afternoon Seokmin saw him off from the front of the motel, Soonyoung offering him his address and his number before they kissed for the last time. He drove off with a lingering bittersweetness, turning the radio off so he could drive in silence for a while. The city welcomed him back like an old friend, and as much as he had loved the sea, there was a charm he had come to miss about busy streets and high-rises.

He expected a call, or maybe even a letter. Seokmin seemed like the type to send letters.

What he didn’t expect, after coming home from his office job a month after the end of his vacation, was to find his boyfriend and beachside fling chatting over coffee and laughing like old friends. He dropped his suitcase and ran over, falling into Seokmin’s open arms and gasping into his neck. Seokmin’s laugh ruffled his hair, and when Jeonghan’s laugh harmonized with his he nearly started crying.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” he mumbled into his skin, gripping Seokmin’s shirt tightly. He didn’t want to let go, grounding himself in the solid frame of Seokmin’s body and letting his head fill with his heartbeat. He stayed like that for a long moment before leaning back and scrutinizing him.

 

“Why are you here?” he asked, gripping his arms tightly. It was like he was afraid he’d just disappear in a puff of smoke if he didn’t hold onto him, and Seokmin’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

“I decided to come up and visit. We got a new lifeguard and she just finished her training so I figured I could let her handle the beach for a while.”

“He was telling me about some of the things you two got up to while you were away,” Jeonghan said. Soonyoung’s cheeks flushed, wondering just how much Seokmin had disclosed. The look on Jeonghan’s face told him all he needed to know, and he settled into the seat between them at the table, making sure Seokmin hadn’t missed any details. If they were going to be open in this relationship then they might as well share it all.

Seokmin’s stay had him pushed and pulled all over the city, from karaoke bars to barbeque to clubbing. Soonyoung and Jeonghan were determined to make a city boy out of the country boy, and he took to it like a bird to wing. And while his first night was purely an exploration of the city, they made sure that wasn’t the only exploring to be had.

Having long ago bought a bed that could support three people comfortably, it was put to use. Seokmin seemed a bit lost at first with two people to focus on, but he was a quick learner.

The week seemed to pass too quickly, and before they knew it Seokmin had to head back to his quiet little beach town. It was tearful, with plenty of kissing and hugging and stalling, until it couldn’t be put off any further. He promised he would be back again,and little did they know that he intended to keep that promise and then some.

It wasn’t until the moving truck was in their driveway that the reality really set in.

 

Soonyoung put his spatula down, checking the time on the stove and frowning. He scraped the eggs off the pan and onto plates before setting the pan back on the stove, turning off the burner and wiping his hands on a tea towel. He padded softly through the kitchen and into the hall, stopping at their bedroom door and laughing quietly through his nose at the sight before him.

Seokmin was sitting propped up against the pillows, looking at his phone in one hand and stroking Jeonghan’s hair with the other. He hadn’t realized Soonyoung was there just yet, so he had the freedom to just watch them. Seokmin’s fingers combed through Jeonghan’s hair slowly, smooth and unknotted in spite of him rolling over throughout the night to wrap his arms around them both. Seokmin’s face was calm; his usual smile only a hint at the corners of his mouth. His hair was messy, and the sunlight streaming through the window made his face glow.

After a while he looked up, maybe sensing Soonyoung’s presence or through pure coincidence, and his eyes widened by a fraction before a smile eased onto his face. Soonyoung smiled back, feeling those familiar well-worn flutters again. It spread to the tips of his fingers, and it made his breath catch- he was never going to get used to the feeling.

“I couldn’t leave, it would wake him up,” Seokmin said, keeping his voice low. It filled the room’s silence, and Soonyoung nodded in response. He’d had many hard mornings where Jeonghan had wrapped himself around him and refused to let go. Not that Soonyoung fought it much anyway, all too happy to keep cuddling until Jeonghan finally woke up.

He walked over to the bed and sat down on its edge, letting his eyes drift from Seokmin’s face to Jeonghan’s. He was lying on his side facing Seokmin, his lips parted and cheek pressed into his thigh, eyelids twitching every so often. They opened suddenly and he stared, unfocused, into the room before blinking a couple times and lifting his head slightly. He saw Soonyoung staring at him and smiled, then angled his head up and noticed Seokmin looking at him and smiled wider. He stretched out and threw his arm over Seokmin’s leg, resting his face on his thigh again.

“What? Is it afternoon already?” he asked, letting out a yawn. Seokmin twirled a finger into his hair and laughed. Jeonghan’s mouth spread into an easy grin, which quickly extended into another yawn.

“No, but it smells like breakfast is ready so we should get up.”

Soonyoung climbed onto the bed and lied down between Seokmin and Jeonghan, tipping his head up to kiss Jeonghan softly and then resting his hand on Seokmin’s leg as well. Seokmin smiled that wonderful wide smile of his, and then leaned down to kiss them both, long and lingering. Soonyoung sighed. He wasn’t ready to have them get up yet, to shatter this calm that had so naturally formed. He wouldn’t complain about the noise that came from living with the both of them, but he always enjoyed the quiet when it came.

Jeonghan’s hand slid down Seokmin’s thigh and linked with his and, a moment later, Seokmin’s hand rested on top of that. Soonyoung breathed in the moment, letting it fill his lungs until he felt like he would burst, then let it all out in a contented sigh. Jeonghan met his eyes and squeezed his hand before reaching out to run his thumb over his cheek.

“Should we get up now? Wouldn’t want your hard work to go cold on us,” he whispered. Soonyoung nodded, resignedly pushing himself into a sitting position and letting Seokmin get up. Jeonghan practically rolled off the bed, groaning and stretching the aches out of his body after his sleep.

Soonyoung lingered behind them, watching Jeonghan pull Seokmin towards the kitchen by his hand. It had been a while since they had completely unpacked all of Seokmin’s things, and by now he was comfortably settled into their cozy apartment. It was like he was the piece of a puzzle they hadn’t even realized they were missing.

He stopped at the entrance to the kitchen, the pair of them already sitting and starting to eat. They didn’t notice him just standing there, too busy talking to each other to really pay attention. He took advantage of it, just as he had before they’d gotten out of bed. Seokmin’s sunny smile complemented Jeonghan’s warm voice perfectly, and he couldn’t keep in his laugh when Jeonghan pointed out the yolk running down Seokmin’s chin. They looked over at him and Jeonghan waved him closer, pulling him up against his side and bringing a forkful of food from his own plate to his lips. He ate it happily, blowing him a kiss before he started chewing.

As the morning wore on, Soonyoung thought that he might just have a bit of a thing for the sun. He looked around at the dashes of yellow throughout the apartment, at the large picture windows on the wall letting the light bleed in, at the two men sitting around the kitchen island that made his insides burn with a love that could rival the hottest sun in the universe. Maybe he did, but who wouldn’t want to feel this warm for the rest of their life?

**Author's Note:**

> wanna chat? hmu @s00nhan on twitter!!


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